Ever since the phenomenally acclaimed "Throw Everything Together and Add" at the 47th Venice Biennale that received the 'Prize of special Merit', Ik-Joong Kang, American citizen from New York, has become a significant Korean artist in contemporary art after Nam June Paik.
His works are included in the collections of the Ludwig Museum Cologne, the Whitney Museum of American Art New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the National Gallery in Seoul as well as numerous private and corporate collections.

Ik-Joong Kang becomes a messenger between the differences of time, political systems and cultures by inviting the viewers to take part in his work by painting each 3" x 3" canvas that builds up the whole, mosaic-like and often colossal picture and he developed his own, new universal language in doing so.

Notable 'public works' include "Amazed World", 34,000 drawings by children from 135 countries exhibited at the United Nations headquarter in New York, as well as "100 000 Dreams" shown at the turn of the Millennium 1999/2000 in the Nowhereland between North and South Korea.
For the 'G8- Summit' in 2007 in Heiligendamm he created "Small pieces for peace" with thousands of children drawings from around the world, supported by several local initiatives as well as a film spot by renowned German film director Detlev Buck.

"Mountain and Wind", a major city project in Seoul in 2008 covers the Kwang Hwa Mun Gate. Being destroyed and re-installed several times this gate functions as a symbol for the reunification of Korea.

For his fifth solo show since 1999 at ALEXANDER OCHS GALLERIES BERLIN I BEIJING Ik-Joong Kang reflects on the Kwang Hwa Mun Gate project. The main body of work is the "Moon Jar", a slightly asymmetrical jar, formed of two parts connected by hand ? an icon of unity, nature and harmony for Koreans.

"Its rounded figure exudes the feeling of cosmic compassion, yet in a very humble and tranquil manner," Kang explains, describing why he was "drawn to the moon jar as inspiration..."